Broken wheel detector for railway cars



Jan. 5, 1965 v. H. PHILLIPS BROKEN WHEEL. DETECTOR FOR RAILWAY CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1961 aJL Haj

Arrazlve Y5.

Jan. 5, 1965 v. H. PHILLIPS 3,164,341

BROKEN WHEEL DETECTOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 17, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 "I: I F L 121 6 Mia x r l v l I TZAVEL A 30 b7 1 30 30a 5; /9a 39 4 r44 a 4' fig r \1 f)? INVEN TOR. V/croe P/l/LL/Ps A rroz/ve Y8 Jan. 5, 1965 v. H. PHILLIPS 3,164,341

BROKEN WHEEL. DETECTOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 17, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet s IN VEN TOR. 56 Vlcroz P/l/LL/PS United States Patent ()fitice 3,164,341 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 wheels wherein the parts associated with the rails do not require any modification of the latter.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a detecting apparatus for broken flanges on railway car wheels which will detect broken sections of short arcuate lengths in the flanges.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a detecting apparatus for broken flanges on railway car wheels in combinationwith an-electrical indicating circuit which will show on Which'side of the track the wheel having the broken flange thereon is present.

Still other objects, advantages and improvements will become apparent from the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a section of a railway track with the'broken flange detecting apparatus, according to the present invention, applied to same,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the section of the railway track shown in FIG. 1, also'showing the broken flange detecting apparatus applied to same; i

' FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the section line 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; I Q p I FIGURE 4 is a detail sectional view on a enlarged scale, taken on the section line 4--4 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the mechanical components of the detecting apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale takenon the section line 5--5 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing one of the separator blocks between the detecting units;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation view of one of the treadles; I i g g FIGURE 8 is a top plan view, partly in section, taken on the line 88 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a plurality of the treadles; and

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the section of the track, a schematic layout of the broken flange detectors on both sides of the latter, and a diagram of the indicator circuit.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and to FIG. 1 in particular, there is here shown in top plan view an ordinary section of a railroad track which is comprised by rails 10-10 and cross ties 11. p The rails have treads 10a, central webs 10b; and oppositely extending bottom flanges 10c10c, as best shown in FIG. 4. At '12 in FIG. 4 there is shown in phantom lines the flange of a railway car wheel, as the latter runs over the tread 10a of the rail. FIG. 4 also shows one of the detector and circuit maker and breaker units, which are parts of the broken flange indicator according to the present invention.

The invention includes a plurality of the detector and nut 17 on its circuit maker and breaker units, which are positioned on the rails 10--10 on the opposite sides of the track and along each rail for a distance equal to the circumference of a railway car wheel approximately 10 it, as shown in FIG. 2. Since these units are identical in construction and operation, only one of same will be described in detail.

Two mounting brackets are shown for the several units, as shown in FIG. 2. Approximately five mounting brackets are needed, however, for each 10 ft. section of rail. Each mounting bracket is comprised by two parts.

One part 13 has a double right angle hook 13a thereon, which is adapted to receive the edge of one bottom flange 10c of the rail 10, and a base 13b, which underlies both flanges of the rail. The other part 14 has a right angle cut-away section 14a thereon and a downwardly depending flange 14b. A stud bolt 16 is cut away on its other end at 16a and is threaded on its other end. This stud bolt extends freely through a hole 15 in the flange 14b of the mounting bracket, receives the top edge of the base 13b of the part 13 in its cut away section 16a, and has a outer threaded end, which nut abuts'the flange 14b. 9 p p g The housing for the several units is comprised by a bottom plate 18, a side plate 19, and a top plate 20. The side plate 19 is bevelled on the top at 19a and the top plate 20 ispositioned at an oblique angle with respect to the side plate and abuts the tread 10a of the rail on its free side. v i

' The several units of the detectors and circuit makers and breakers are enclosed in compartments which have as their sides separator blocks 22. These separator blocks are made of insulatingmaterial, preferably one of the well knownphenolic condensation products. On their outeredges the separator blocks 22 abut theside plate 19 of the housing; the tops 22a-are sloped at an oblique angle Y with respect to the outed edges to conform to the slope of the top plate 20 of the housing; the inner edges 22b abut the .web 10b of the rail; and at their bottoms the separator blocks are cut away in-right angle sections 220. g

A bar 27 extends through the several units of the detectors and circuit makers andbreakers. This bar rests on the bottom plate 18 of the housing and is secured to the latter :by screws'28 which pass freely through holes in the bottom plate and are received in aligned screw threaded holes in the bar.

arranged to be depressed by the wheel flanges 12 as the wheels run over the rail treads 10a. Each treadle 30 is mountedfor vertical sliding movement in a transversely extending slot 21 in the top plate 20 of the housing and bears against the inner face of the side plate 19 of the latter.. The guiding means for each treadle is further comprised by a rod 32 which is force fitted at its lower end in a hole 29 in the bar 27 and freely received at its upper end in a hole 31 in the treadle. The hole 29 in the bar 27 is counterbored at its upper end at 29a and the hole 31 in the treadle is counterbored at its lower end at 31a. A heavy coil compression spring 33 is mounted at its lower end in the counterbore 29a in the bar 27 and at its upper end in' the counterbore 31a in the treadle and surrounds the rod32. Adjacent itsupper end the treadle has on its inner side an outwardly extending finger or projection 3011' which is adapted to contact the underside of the tread 10a of the rail and limit the upward movement of the treadle.

A shaft 35 is journalled in aligned holes 23 of the two plates 22 of each unit. On this shaft thereis freely mounted a ratchet wheel 38 in each unit. These ratchet wheels are made of some insulating material, preferably also one of the phenolic condensation products. As

1 'The treadles are shown at 30 (FIG. 8) and they are 3 shown, each ratchet wheel 38 has eight teeth but a greater or a lesser number could as well be used.

A one way drive is provided between the shaft 35 and the ratchet-wheels 38. The shaft is formedwitli a chordal section thereof -removed, preferably by milling, leaving a plane surface 36. The 'ratchet wheels 38 have axial bores 37 therein by which they are received on the shaft 35 with a minimum clearance. Each bore 37 has an abutment 37a therein which is formed by a limited arc of the bore being of a greater radius of curvature than the remainder of the bore. Along the planesurface of the shaft 35 there is formed a slot 31631 at approximately right angles to the plane surface. Within" the bore 37 of each ratchet wheel there is positioned a90 leaf spring 39 which has one end received. in the slot 36a and the other end resting against the abutment 37a.

A pawl 42 and the ratchet wheel 38 comprise an intermittent grip device, the pawl rotating the ratchet wheel in steps. At its upper end this pawl engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel; at its lower end it' is pivotally mounted on a pin 43 between two parallel ears 3hc-3tlc on the lower inner corner of the treadle 39. Also at its lower end the pawl 42 is formed with a lug 42a which is adapted to abut a v shaped projection 3nd between the ears Mic-30c to limit movement of the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel 38. An arcuate leaf spring 44 is'mounted at one, end, in a slot 30b in the treadle 3t and at its other end abuts the pawl42 to bias same into engagement with the ratchet wheel 38.

Each ratchet wheel is provided with a plurality of holes 40;, which are equal to the number of teeth and which are concentrically positioned with respect to the axis of the ratchet wheel and uniformly angularly spaced. In every-other hole 40 there is force fitted a short metal rod 41 of high electrical conductivity; the alternate holes 40 are left blank. Contact rods 24 and 26, which are also of a metal of high electrical conductivity, are force fitted in holes in the separator blocks 22-22 on both sides of the ratchet wheel 38. These conductor rods are positioned on a circle of the same radius as the holes 49 and the conductor rods 41 in the ratchet wheel 38, and are arcuately spaced by an angle equalto that between two adjacent conductor rods 41-41. Thus, when two of the conductor rods 41-41 mounted in the ratchet wheel 38 are aligned with the conductor rods 24 and 26 in the separator blocks 22-22 on the opposite sides of the ratchet wheel, the two sides of an electrical circuit arev completed. It is also the case that, when two of the holes 40-40 in the ratchet wheel 38 are, respectively. in alignment with the conductor rods 24 and 26. in the separator blocks on the opposite sides of the ratchet wheel, the indicator circuit will be broken on both sides.

In FIG. 9 a plurality of the circuitgmaker and breaker units are shown schematically in alignment along the opposite rails 10-10 of the track. For clarity of illustration, the circuit makers and breakers are shown outside of the rails but it will be understood that their. actual positions are on the insides of the rail 10-10, as shown in FIG. 4. At one end of each series of aligned circuit maker and breaker units the conductor rods, 24 and 26 through the separator blocks 22 are connected by a conductor 25; at their other ends the conductor rods 24 and 26 of one series of circuit maker and breaker units are connected to the contacts on one side of a switch SW-l, and the conductor rods 24 and 26 of the other series of circuit maker and breaker units are connected to the contacts on one side of a switch SW2. It will be understood that these switches are located at some convenient places along the railroad track. For instance, they may be mounted on posts along the latter.

Electric motors M1 and M-2 are drivably connected to the shafts 35-35 for re-setting the latter. One contact on the other side of the switch SW-l is connected by a conductor 46 to one side of a battery B.3. The motor M-l is connected on one side by a conductor 45 and the conductor 46 to one terminal of the battery B-3; the other side of the motor M-l is connected by a conductor 47 to one contact of a push button switch SW4); and the other contact of this switch is connected by a conductor 48 to the other terminal of the battery B-3. Similarly, one contact on the other side of the switch SW-2 is connected by a conductor 50 and the conductor 46 to the first terminal of the battery B3. The motor M2 is connected by a conductor 49 and the conductors 50 and 46 to the first terminal of the battery B-3; the other side of the motor M-2 is connected by a conductor 51 to the first contact of the push button switch SW-3. This switch SW-3 will preferably be located in a signal boX one. post alongside of the track.

Indicator stations arelocated along the track at some distance from the circuit maker and breaker units in which a train can conveniently be stopped, which is approximately 500 yards. Where the railroad is a single track road, the indicator stations will be located on the opposite sides of the track at the stated distance in both directions from the series of circuit maker and breaker units; where the railroad is a double track road, these indicator stations will be located to the right of the respective tracks in the direction of train movement and, likewise, at the stated distance in opposite directions from the series of circuit maker and breaker units. The following description is of the arrangement for the singletrack railroad.

The indicator stations include pairs of normally closed relays R-1 and R-2 and R-3 and R-4. The primary circuit for the relay R-l in the first indicator station and the-relay R-3 in the second indicator station is as follows: The second contact on the other side of the switch SW-l is connected bya conductor 52 to one side of the winding of the relay R4; the other side of the winding of this relay is connected by a conduetor 53 to one side of the winding of the relay R-3; and the other side of the winding of this relay is connected by a conductor 54 to the second terminal of the battery B-3l Similarly, the primary circuit for the relay R-2 in the first indicator station and the relay R-4 in the second indi cator station is as follows: The second contact on the other side of the switch SW-Z is connected'by a conductor 55 to one side of this winding of the relay R-2; the other side of the winding of this relay is connected by a conductor 56 to one side of the winding of the relay R4; and the other side of the winding of this latter relay is connectedby a conductor 57 and the conductor 54 to the secondterminal of the battery B-3. H I

Each of the relays R-l, R-2, R-3, and R-4 has parallel local circuits, one for a green indicator light and one for a red indicator light. The local first circuit for the relay R-l is as follows: This relay has an armature 58, a normally closed contact 57 and a normally open contact 59. The normally closed contact 57 is connected by a conductor '61 to one side of a green indicator light 60; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 62 to one terminal of a battery B-1; and the other terminal of this battery is connectedby a conductor 63, to the aimature 58 of the relay. The other local circuit for this relay is. as follows: The normally open contact 59 is connected by a conductor 64 to one side of a red indicator light 65; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 66-to the first terminal of the battery B-l; as stated, the other terminal of this battery is connected by a conductor 63 to the armature 58.

Similarly, the relay R-2 has. an armature 68, a normally closed. contact 67 and a normally open contact 69. The first local circuit for this relay is as follows: The normally closed contact 67 is connected by a conductor 71 to one side of a green indicator light 79; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 72- to the first terminal B-1; and the other terminal of this. battery is connected by a conductor 73 to the armature 68. of the relay. The other local circuit for this relay is as follows: The normally open contact 69 is connected by a conductor 74 to one side of a red indicator light 75; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 76 and the conductor 72 to the first terminal of the battery B-1; as stated, the other terminal of this battery is connected by a conductor 73 to the armature 68.

Likewise, the relay R3 has an armature 78, a normally closed contact 77, and a normally open contact 79. The normally closed contact 77 is connected'by a conductor 81 to one side of a green indicator light 86; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 82 to the first terminal of a battery B-2; and the other terminal of this battery is connected by a conductor 83 to the armature 78 of the relay. The other local cricuit of this relay is as follows: The normally open contact 79 is connected by a conductor 84 to one side of a red indicator light 85; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 86 to the first terminal of the battery B2; as stated, the other terminal of this battery is connected by a conductor 83 to the armature 78.

In like manner, the relay R4 has an armature 88, a normally closed contact 87, and a normally open contact 89. The normally closed contact 87 is connected by a conductor 91 to one side of a green indicator light 90; the other side or this light is connected by a conductor 92 to the first terminal of the battery B-2; and the other terminal of this battery is connected by a conductor 93 to the armature 88 of the relay. The other local circuit of this relay is as follows: The normally open contact 89 is connected by a conductor 94 to one side of a red indicator light 95; the other side of this light is connected by a conductor 96 and the conductor 92 to the first terminal of the battery B-2; as stated, the other terminal of this battery is connected by a conductor 93 to the armature 88.

In use, assume that a train is passing over the track comprised by the rails 10. The flanges 12 of the wheels will successively depress the treadles of this circuit maker and breaker unit. Each treadle 30 is, however, shortly returned' to its normal position by the compression spring 33, after the wheel has passed over same. On the upward movement of the treadle 30, the pawl 42 presently rotates the ratchet gear 38 through one step.

In the normal position of the circuit maker and breaker units, adjacent conductor rods 41-41 carried by the ratchet wheel 38 in each unit are respectively in alignment wtih the conductor rods 24 and 26 moutned in the separator blocks 22 on each side of the ratchet wheel. The indicator circuit is, therefore, complete on both sides. It is well known that each railway car is mounted on trucks at its opposite ends and each truck has two wheels that run on each rail. After the first wheel of a truck has passed over the series of indicator units, and the treadle 30 has returned to its normal position under the action of the compression spring 33 and the ratchet wheel 38 been stepped up one step, holes -40 in the ratchet wheel will be aligned with the conductor rods 24 and 26 in the separator blocks 22. The indicator circuit will now be broken on both sides. However, the second wheel of the truck will shortly pass over the treadles 30 and the ratchet wheel will be again stepped up one step. Two of the conductor rods 4141 carried by the ratchet wheel 38 will again be aligned with the conductor rods 24 and 26. The indicator circuit has been restored on both sides. During the brief period when the indicator circuit is interrupted, the relays Rl, RZ, R3, and R4 will hold due to their time delay constant. The operation is, of course, the same when the other truck on the car passes over the series of circuit maker and breaker units. The engineer will, therefore, see only the green lights 60 and 70, if the train is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 9, or similarly only the green lights 80 and 90, if the train is traveling in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow W.

If now a car having a Wheel with a partially broken flange thereon on the front wheel on a truck passes over the series of circuit makers and breakers, one or more of the treadles 30 that serve as detectors for flanges that are not broken will not be depressed. The ratchet wheel 38 corresponding to this treadle will remain with the conductor rods 4141 carried by same in contact with the conductor rods 24 and 26 mounted in the separator blocks 22 on both sides of the ratchet wheel. The remaining ratchet wheels 38 will be each stepped up one step. The indicator circuit will be broken as before due to holes 4040 in the latterratchet wheels being in alignment with the conductor rods 24 and 26.

When the second wheel of the truck passes over the series of aligned circuit maker and breaker units, the treadle, or treadles 30, that were not depressed by the first wheel will now be depressed and the corresponding ratchet wheel 38 will be stepped up one step. Two of the holes 4=340 in the ratchet wheel will now be aligned with the conductor rods 24 and 26. The remaining treadles 30 will also be depressed and the corresponding ratchet wheels 38 will be stepped up another step. Conductor bars 41-41 carried by the latter ratchet wheels will be in contact with the conductor bars 24 and 26. The indicator circuit remains broken due to disalignment of the ratchet wheel 38, that was not actuated by the first wheel on the truck, with the ratchet wheels 38 that were actuated by both wheels on the truck.

If the car has the wheel with the partially broken flange thereon as the rear wheel on a truck, all of the treadles 38 will be depressed when the frame wheel passes over the series of aligned circuit maker and breaker units. Two holes 40 are now aligned with the conductor rods 24 and 26 in the separator blocks 22 on both sides of the ratchet wheel 38 corresponding to this treadle will remain broken on both sides. When the second wheel on the truck passes over the series of aligned circuit maker and breaker units, one or more of the treadles 38 will not be depressed due to the broken flange on the wheel. The ratchet whel 38 corresponding to treadle will remain in the stated position. The remaining treadles 30 will be depressed and the corresponding ratchet wheels 38 stepped up another step. The indicator circuit will remain broken due to the ratchet wheel 38 corresponding to the treadle 30 that was not depressed by the second wheel on the truck being in disalignment with the ratchet wheel corresponding to the treadles that were depressed by both wheels.

In either of the above cases the relays R1 and R3 or R-2 and R4 will be released. If the wheel having the partially broken flange thereon is on the left side of the train for a train going in the direction indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 9, or on the right side of the train for a train going in the direction indicated by the arrow W, the relays R1 and R3 will be released. Conversely, if the wheel having the partially broken flange thereon is on the right side of the train for a train going in the direction indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 9, or on the left side of the train going in the direction indicated by the arrow W, the relays R2 and R-4 will be released.

Release of the relays R-1, R-2, R3, and R4 completes the secondary circuits for the red indicator lights 65, 75, 8t), and 90, respectively.

Thus it will be seen that the engineer will have a warning that there is a wheel with a partially broken flange on any of the cars of the train. He can stop the train and go to the forward indicator station and determine on what side of the train the wheel with the broken flange is present. He may then send for a wrecker to have the truck with the wheel having the broken flange thereon replaced. Alternatively, he may proceed at reduced speed to the nearest station and set the car having the wheel with a broken flange thereon on a siding.

To close the block so that the train may continue, the engineer will go to the signal box and operate the push button switch SW3. This will energize the re-setting '7 motors M-1 and M2 to rotate the shafts 35-35 and rotate all the ratchet wheels 38 into aligned position. The engineer would then have a green light to proceed. The switches SW-l and SW-Z are used to take the circuit maker and breaker units on either or both sides of the track out of service.

While the invention has been described by reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and these may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention. t is, therefore, intended that the appended claims shall cover all such equivalent variations as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A system for indicating a broken railway wheel flange, which system is adapted to be secured to the rails that such wheels traverse, comprising a plurality of detectors, each of said detectors having a normally closed switch, each of said detectors including means for opening its respective switch in response to the passage of every other unbroken wheel flange passing over a predetermined section of at least one of said rails and for closing said switch in response to the passage of every other unbroken wheel flange passing over said section, a voltage source and an indicator circuit in series circuit with each of said switches, said indicator circuit including indicating means activated in response to opening of any of said switches for a predetermined time period, said indicator means indicating the presence of a broken wheel flange, said time period being greater than the time it normally takes adjacent Wheels-0n the same truck to pass over each of said sections.

2. The system of claim 1 further including means for returning each of said switches to its normally closed position at will.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said detectors includes a treadle depressed by said unbroken flanges, a disc coupled to said treadle to be stepped in rotation to one of several predetermined angular positions in response to each depression of said treadle, said disc having an electrical contact at alternate ones of said positions and no electrical contact at the other of said positions.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each of said discs includes a ratchet wheel energized by a pawl activated in response to each depression of said treadlc.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein two contacts on each disc of adjacent detector are normally connected together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A SYSTEM FOR INDICATING A BROKEN RAILWAY WHEEL FLANGE, WHICH SYSTEM IS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE RAILS THAT SUCH WHEELS TRAVERSE, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DETECTORS, EACH OF SAID DETECTORS HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED SWITCH, EACH OF SAID DETECTORS INCLUDING MEANS FOR OPENING ITS RESPECTIVE SWITCH IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF EVERY OTHER UNBROKEN WHEEL FLANGE PASSING OVER A PREDETERMINED SECTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RAILS AND FOR CLOSING SAID SWITCH IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF EVERY OTHER UNBROKEN WHEEL FLANGE PASSING OVER SAID SECTION, A VOLTAGE SOURCE AND AN INDICATOR CIRCUIT IN SERIES CIRCUIT WITH EACH OF SAID SWITCHES, SAID INDICATOR CIRCUIT INCLUDING INDICATING MEANS ACTIVATED IN RESPONSE TO OPENING OF ANY OF SAID SWITCHES FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD, SAID INDICATOR MEANS INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF A BROKEN WHEEL FLANGE, SAID TIME PERIOD BEING GREATER THAN THE TIME IT NORMALLY TAKES ADJACENT WHEELS ON THE SAME TRUCK TO PASS OVER EACH OF SAID SECTIONS. 